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Happy holidays from the City of St. Catharines
City Hall, the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and most other City facilities will be closed Monday, Dec. 25, Tuesday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 1.
A full listing of fun holiday activities, such as free public skating and holiday drop-in programs, facility closures, emergency contacts and more, is available at www.stcatharines.ca.
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Free afternoon downtown parking in December
The City is offering up to three hours of free parking downtown between noon and 6 p.m. every weekday until Friday, Dec. 29 at City-owned on-street metered spots and City-owned parking lots with pay machines.
Visitors taking advantage of free afternoon parking are still subject to the City's three-hour time limit for parking in the downtown.
Free afternoon parking does not apply to special event parking fees at the Head Street, Race Street, Garden Park and IceDogs Way parking lots during events at the Meridian Centre and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
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Museum collecting warm woolly donations
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre continues to
collect warm woolly mittens, hats, scarves, socks and other gently used winter clothing for adults and children in need until Jan. 7 through its annual Mitten Tree.
All winter clothing donations will go to local adults and children through Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold and Out of the Cold.
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Free skating and swimming on New Year's Eve
Ring in the new year with free skating and swimming at our New Year's Eve Family Celebration Sunday, Dec. 31.
Enjoy fun family activities from noon to 2 p.m. at the Meridian Centre (1 IceDogs Way), including free public skating, music by DJ Marinko, crafts, inflatable bouncers, face painting and more.
Or, celebrate New Year's Eve with a splash at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre (425 Carlton St.) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with a free leisure swim and music by DJ Tanner.
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New Year's Day Levee
Toast the New Year Monday, Jan. 1 with Mayor Walter Sendzik, city councillors and members of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and the 10th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery.
All are welcome to attend from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Lake Street Armoury (81 Lake St.). A toast to the New Year takes place at 11:45 a.m. A firing of a cannon follows at noon.
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Tell us what you think of the downtown
There've been a number of changes to Downtown St. Catharines over the last few years. Now, we're taking the pulse of downtown and want to know what you think.
Complete our
online survey and tell us how the downtown is doing. We want to know what brings you to the downtown, how you get there and how easily you can find your way around. We also want to hear from residents who don't visit the downtown regularly about why they don't go and what would motivate them to visit more often.
The
online survey is available until Dec. 31.
Results from the survey will be used as part of the first annual report on Downtown St. Catharines, expected to be available in early 2018.
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Is it time to renew your dog tag?
Go online to purchase tags for the family dog.
Visit stcatharines.docupet.com to set up an account, complete online dog profiles and upload photos of their pet.
DocuPet allows residents to manage and update contact information and details about their dogs as well as access to DocuPet's lost pet network should their dogs go missing.
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Apply now to have special event fees waived
Organizations and event planners with events taking place between January and June 30, 2018 can
apply now to have up to 50 per cent of the City fees associated with running single or multi-day events waived. Applications must be submitted by Sunday, Dec. 31.
Fees eligible to be waived include items managed or operated by the City of St. Catharines, such as park permits and rental fees. Items like liability insurance, damage deposits and non-City fees are not eligible under the program.
Community groups with events taking place in the second half of 2018 will be able to apply early next year.
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Grants available for community projects at Centennial Gardens
Do you have a project that will enhance Centennial Gardens? It may be eligible for funding from the City of St. Catharines.
Service clubs, community groups, park users and the business community are invited to
apply for matching grants through the City's Centennial Gardens Partnership Fund for new projects that will enhance the park.
Applications are due by Friday, Jan. 26. The City will announce grant recipients in the spring of 2018.
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Bridging Our Future exhibit at City Hall
Bridging Our Future, an art exhibit celebrating the Niagara community coming together, is on display now until Jan. 12 on the third floor at City Hall.
More than 200 people helped create this mobile mural during 2017 Pow Wow in October at Montebello Park. The mural is made up of five canvases designed to be displayed together. It explores a vision emerging from First Nations culture, as well as new connections and friendships, between Native and non-Native peoples.
The exhibit reception is set for Thursday Jan. 11 at 4 p.m. on the third floor of City Hall, near Council Chambers. All are welcome to attend.
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Student artwork on display at the
St. Catharines Museum
The City and the St. Catharines Rotary Club present the Experiential Learning Project, featuring 23 artworks by local students and on display
in the Lockview Lounge at the St. Catharines Museum from now until Wednesday, Jan. 3.
For the exhibit, students were invited to create artworks based on their knowledge related to local history or events celebrating Canada's 150 anniversary. The City received 23 submissions in a variety of formats, including sculptures, paintings, poems and mixed-media scrapbooks.
The exhibit recognizes all submitted artworks.
A reception celebrating the exhibit is set for Wednesday, Jan. 3 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the museum. The student artists will be present to discuss their work with visitors.
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A report from Mayor Walter Sendzik
As we come to the end of the year, I'm pleased that City Council has approved the 2018 city budget with an inflationary-rate increase of 1.67 per cent. Th
is budget
supports our strategic plan and matches the priorities we've heard from the public to maintain services and invest in economic development.
Thanks to the Budget Standing Committee, Chair Siscoe and staff for their hard work - and to the public for their input into the 2018 budget - and for getting it done in record time.
Now, as we take time to enjoy the holidays, I'd like to wish you all happy holidays in this short video message. Happy Hanukkah. Merry Christmas. Happy Kwanzaa. Happy New Year. I hope to see you at the New Year's Day levee on Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. at the Lake Street Armoury.
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City Council passes 2018 budget
City Council approved the 2018 City of St. Catharines operating budget after a public meeting Monday, Dec. 18.
City Council passed the City's 2018 operating budget with an increase close to the rate of inflation at 1.67 per cent for the City's part of the property tax bill. That means the average property owner with a home worth $238,000 will pay about $25 more than last year in City property taxes.
The total property tax bill, which includes taxes for Niagara Region, local education and the City, is estimated to increase by 2.58 per cent. The 2018 City of St. Catharines budget makes up about 43 per cent of the overall property tax bill and provides the City with more than $113 million to fund programs and services, such as fire protection, park maintenance, public transit, community centres and more.
The City budget also includes a one per cent infrastructure levy to maintain and repair City roads, buildings, trees, parks and other infrastructure.
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Council wants supervisor to oversee NPCA
City Council requests the Premier of Ontario to immediately appoint a supervisor to take over operations of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.
Council also requested Niagara Regional Council and the NPCA board to address the issue of one of their members providing it with misleading information.
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Council not supportive of more regional councillors
City Council did not support a Niagara Region by-law that would increase the number of members on Regional Council by one.
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More council online
Council Highlights offers informal summaries of some of the recent decisions and business discussed during
St. Catharines City Council meetings. The Office of the City Clerk provides a full recap of decisions and motions in its official minutes, available on the Friday after every
St. Catharines City Council meeting.
City Council meeting agendas and minutes are available online.
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City Council
6:30 p.m., City Hall
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Click here to learn about construction projects happening in the City.
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